Slate Roofing - Good or Bad In Lancaster, Pa

It seems that real slate roofing has gotten a bad rap lately. I've heard lots of negative comments and one stands out in my mind, "I hired someone to repair my slate roof but it leaked worse after they left" Has anyone else heard or experienced this? Walking on a real slate roof is one of the worst things that you can do as the weight of a workman will break the slates they step on. Often this damage isn't seen until months later.

Another common complaint is how expensive real slate is. Did you know that real Vermont slate roofing will last 150 years? Compare that with an asphalt roof that will only last 30 years that will need replaced 5 times in that 150 year period. Talk about money savings, especially when considering inflation.

I am curious for other peoples comments on why or why not they would choose a real slate roof.

If you have had damage to your existing slate roof due to the recent snow and ice storm, make sure you repair the broken slate promptly. Brookline Builders has been repairing all types of damage to all types of roofs for over 20 years.

Pick a contractor that will not walk on your roof and will not face nail the replacement slate. Walking on an existing slate roof will easily crack the slate and a simple repair to one or two slate by an incompetent contractor can cause expensive repairs. In addition, a repair to an existing slate roof that is completed by face nailing thru a replacement slate not only is ugly, but is also extremely vulnerable to additional leaking.

The correct way to repair a broken slate is to remove the broken piece of slate using a slate ripper, install a copper or stainless slate hook. Then slide the new piece of slate up past the hook then work it down to allow it to hang on the slate hook. The repair is aesthetically appealing and the new slate will most likely outlive the existing slate.

Real Vermont Roofing Slate in Lancaster Pa

Brookline is a supplier of Real Vermont Roofing Slate in Lancaster Pa. We stock small quantities but as a broker of the nations largest slate quarry we have access to thousands of squares of the finest S1 real Vermont roofing slate within a week or so. We will meet or beat the best price you can get anywhere else. For samples or questions of Real Vermont Roofing Slate in Lancaster Pa, contact Brookline today, We are a slate roofing contractor in Lancaster Pa and will travel up to 300 miles for slate roof installations.

All Slate roofing in Lancaster Pa is still fastened the old fashioned way, hand cutting and using hand nailed copper nails.

If you have contacted a "roofing contractor" who walks on your existing slate roof and wants to face nail your existing slate roof with a nail gun, you need to find a new slate roof contractor.

Walking on new or older slate is extremely damaging to the slate roof. Face nailing a repair to an existing slate roof using galvanized nails is only asking for trouble and compromising your entire roof.

Slate Roof Repairs In Lancaster PaSnow and Ice can be very damaging to your slate roof. The snow and ice can make a type of dam that makes the water build up and soak back into the upper pieces of slate. When the temperature drops below freezing the water that has penetrated underneath the slate will expand and can lead to cracking of the slate.

Although a slate roof can last up to 150 years, all damage must be repaired promptly to avoid further damage and water infiltration.

Contact Brookline Builders for complete slate roof repair services. Make sure you hire a contractor that will refuse to walk on your slate. Walking on your slate roof will cause damage that may not be readily seen, but in a few months the slate that has been walked on will break off and you will have more repairs to make.

Brookline Builders stocks new slate roofing, can install a new slate roof and make any repairs needed on your existing roof.

Slate Roofing in Lancaster Township

Lancaster Township, Pa was built with the majority of homes having slate roofing, even many of the homes that were built into the 50's and 60's. These beautiful slate roofs, standing as a sign of prestige, are slowly getting being torn off and getting replaced with cheaper asphalt roofing shingles. I don't want to grip about the 'throw away' mentality we as a nation seemed to have at this time, yet the asphalt roof is not designed to have the longevity that real slate has.

Brookline Builders would like to see the homes in Lancaster Township, Pa keep the traditional real slate roofs that you see as you drive the streets here. As you drive you may see the black slate, multi-colored slate that has greens and browns, sometimes the black slate with white flagging in it and occasionally a rare graduated, multi-colored slate roof just to name a few. Although a roof is not the only part you will see as you drive by the various homes, a roof does take up a greater percentage of what you can see on the typical home, so replacing an old original slate roof with cheaper asphalt will change the way the whole neighborhood looks. From stately to cheap.

Although even a good slate roof will require some maintenance such as looking for broken slates after a hard winter, a high quality slate roof will last up to 150 years outliving any of us alive today. Although the cost of real slate roofing is more than an asphalt roof, the long term cost is much less than the throw-away asphalt roof. The typical asphalt roof will need to be replaced at least 5 times in a single 150 year period. So if you add inflation into the cost each time you replace it, the successive owners of your present home could be paying 3 or 4 times the amount that you will have to pay for real slate now.

Help keep Lancaster Township, Pa a beautiful place to live and work - replace your existing slate roof using new slate, or just make the timely repairs and your existing slate roof could last much longer than you think! Brookline Builders is a supplier of real Vermont roofing slate. We can supply the slate for you home for installation by others or we offer complete slate installation services as well.